The Wall Street Journal has an interesting article exploring the threat that Apple’s iPhone/iPod may pose for the Ninentdo DS and Sony PSP as the iPod Touch and iPhone have seemingly come out of nowhere to become serious gaming devices. Back when Steve Jobs first introduced the iPhone, people were clamoring for an SDK so that third party apps could become a possibility, yet the idea that the iPhone, and subsequently the iPod Touch, would become serious gaming devices never even seemed to cross anyone’s mind. But developers have utilized the unique features of the iPhone to create ingenious applications that are able to take advantage of some of the iPhone’s unique characteristics. And what is the most popular type of iPhone application? Games. And people are buying a ton of them. In fact, over 25% of all iPhone applications are games. The success of the iPhone made it clear that convergence is the wave of the future, and it seems that gaming might be the next piece of that puzzle.

“Developers are being lured by Apple’s online method for delivering games, which has lowered distribution costs and made it possible to profit on games that sell for just a few dollars or are given away with advertising…

Apple, which has sold more than 13 million iPhones so far, has attacked the mobile games market in recent months by wooing game-industry executives, hosting technical meetings with game developers and touting games in a new iPod touch commercial.

“I think the iPhone and iPod touch may emerge as really viable devices in the mobile games market this holiday season,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s chief executive and co-founder, in an interview.”